Top 10 corrupted places: 1 – Somalia

Power structure: Almost none; “in the process of building a federal parliamentary republic” – CIA

Somalia may just be the most unstable country on the entire planet. The country has become infamous in the United States for piracy, and the Blackhawk Down incident. Somalia is being loosely held together by a central government. The reality, however, is that it’s being run by a number of competing clans and warlords.

Life in Somalia is notoriously tough. On the economic front, many people make a living from raising livestock or farming, and others from fishing. Of course, with things remaining such a mess at the top of the power structure, any long-term planning for social programs and infrastructure is difficult. According to The World Bank, only 29% of the country’s population has been enrolled in school, and life expectancy is only 55 years. Both of these numbers rank well below most other countries and provide some insight into the internal strife the country is experiencing.

Beyond these things, information on the inner workings of Somalia’s government and its economic system are scarce. That alone is rather telling, as corrupt officials may not want outsiders seeing the true picture of what’s going on inside the country’s borders.